Wednesday, February 28, 2018

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, known for giving their whiskies "funny" names, offering WTF Is Wrong With You? tasting notes and charging members a triple-digit fee just to buy whisky, bottled the Longmorn I'm reviewing today.

Like the 1985 Longmorn I reviewed on Monday, this whisky was matured in a former bourbon cask, but SMWS provides more specifics than First Editions, as Society says its a refill hoggie. Despite their similar maturation periods and vessels, and their identical vintage, they are two very different single malts.

NEAT
Its color is dark gold, almost like a sherry cask. The nose holds heaps of sugary milk chocolate, like Milk Duds and Twix bars. Toffee pudding. It gets oakier with time, but also picks up melon, lime and citronella notes. The palate is zesty and hot. Limes (lots of 'em), lemons and fresh ginger. Brine, toasted oak spices and a little bit of malt. It finishes malty, salty and peppery. Sweet citrus and a hint of milk chocolate.

DILUTED TO ~40%abv
The nose shifts gears. It's become muskier and earthy. Watermelon candy and papaya. The chocolate now shows up in the palate, as does some vanilla. The limes and ginger and herbs remain. Nuts, chocolate, vanilla and limes in the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This was a refill cask? I can't imagine what the first fill whisky was like. Or was this Longmorn re-racked?

Like Monday's '85 Longmorn, this whisky's nose is its strong point, and the whole package improves greatly when diluted. While I often prefer leaner whiskies, this one's sniffer is so entertaining that I'd choose it over the First Editions bottling. Still, neither are in the same solar system as Longmorns from previous decades, so be careful with your monies.